Dental treatment tray comprising a plasticized resin for improved moldability and conformability

a dental treatment tray and plasticized resin technology, applied in the field of flexible dental trays, can solve the problems of significant portion of the bleaching composition not remaining on the teeth, on the bleaching composition, and remains directly exposed to the saliva of the person, and achieves the effect of high flexibility

Active Publication Date: 2006-04-13
ULTRADENT PROD INC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011] The present invention generally relates to improved dental treatment trays used to deliver a dental treatment composition (e.g., a dental bleaching composition) to a person's teeth. The inventive dental treatment trays are formed from a thermoplastic resin and a plasticizer selected and included in an amount so as to permit the tray to be injection molded while having a thickness less than about 0.015 inch. The reduced thickn...

Problems solved by technology

The main disadvantage of a paint-on bleaching composition is that it remains directly exposed to the person's saliva and disruptive forces found in a person's mouth.
As a result, a significant portion of the bleaching composition does not remain on the teeth where bleaching is desired.
Some or all of the composition can dissolve away into the person's saliva and/or be transferred to adjacent oral tissues, potentially irritating soft oral tissues.
In reality, because of the generally poor adhesion of bleaching strips to the user's teeth, coupled with their generally flimsy nature, it is often difficult for the user to maintain the bleaching strip in its proper position for the recommended time.
Even if a user successfully maintains a conventional bleaching strip in its proper position during the recommended bleaching period, the bleaching gel often diffuses into the person's saliva, potentially causing a poor taste in the user's mouth and possibly discomfort to soft oral and throat tissues.
The tendency of the bleaching gel to diffuse into...

Method used

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  • Dental treatment tray comprising a plasticized resin for improved moldability and conformability
  • Dental treatment tray comprising a plasticized resin for improved moldability and conformability
  • Dental treatment tray comprising a plasticized resin for improved moldability and conformability

Examples

Experimental program
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Effect test

example 1

[0065] A composition for injection molding a dental treatment tray was formed from the following components:

DuPont-Dow Engage 840150%DuPont Elvax 75025%White Mineral Oil25%

[0066] Equal weights of DuPont-Dow Engage 8401 and white mineral oil were compounded at a temperature between about 150° F. and about 400° F. for a thorough and even dispersion to create an Engage 8401 / white mineral oil mixture. Equal weights of DuPont-Dow Engage 8401 and DuPont Elvax 750 pellets were dry mixed at room temperature until the pellets were evenly dispersed to create an Engage 8401 / Elvax 750 mixture. Equal weights of the Engage 8401 / white mineral oil mixture and the Engage 8401 / Elvax 750 mixture were then mixed together at a temperature between about 200° F. and about 400° F. to form an even dispersion and yield a thermoplastic melt comprising the thermoplastic resins and plasticizer. Dental trays according to the invention were formed by injection molding the thermoplastic melt into a mold cavity, ...

example 2

[0067] A composition for injection molding a dental treatment tray was formed from the following components:

DuPont-Dow Engage 840120%DuPont Elvax 75040%White Mineral Oil40%

[0068] The components were mixed together in a manner so as to form a thermoplastic melt comprising the thermoplastic resins and plasticizer. Various dental trays were injection molded from the thermoplastic melt to yield trays having thicknesses of about 0.006 inch, about 0.008 inch, and about 0.010 inch.

example 3

[0069] A composition for injection molding a dental treatment tray was formed from the following components:

DuPont-Dow Engage 840180%DuPont Elvax 75010%White Mineral Oil10%

[0070] The components were mixed together in a manner so as to form a thermoplastic melt comprising the thermoplastic resins and plasticizer. Various dental trays were injection molded from the thermoplastic melt to yield trays having thicknesses of about 0.008 inch and about 0.010 inch.

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PUM

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Abstract

A dental treatment tray used to provide a desired treatment is injection molded from a composition that includes at least one thermoplastic resin and at least plasticizer. The plasticized thermoplastic resin permits the dental treatment tray to be injection molded even while having a wall thickness less than about 0.015 inch. The plasticizer increases the melt flow index of the thermoplastic resin while in a molten state, which facilitates complete filling of the mold cavity by the thermoplastic resin. The plasticizer also softens the thermoplastic polymer while in a solidified state in order to yield a dental tray that is even more flexible and comfortable for the user to wear.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. The Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention is in the field of shaped, flexible dental trays used to deliver a dental treatment composition to a person's teeth. More particularly, the invention relates to flexible dental trays that can be injection molded from a thermoplastic polymer mixed with a plasticizer. [0003] 2. The Relevant Technology [0004] Virtually all people desire white or whiter teeth. To achieve this goal, people have veneers placed over their teeth or have their teeth chemically bleached. A common bleaching method involves the use of a dental tray that is custom-fitted to a person's teeth and that is therefore comfortable to wear. One type of customized tray is made from a stone cast of a person's teeth. Another is customized directly using a person's teeth as a template (e.g., “boil-and-bite” trays). Non-customized trays that approximate the shapes and sizes of a variety of users' dental arches have also been used. A...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): A61C5/00
CPCA61C19/063A61C19/066
Inventor FISCHER, DAN E.CHRISTMAN, DERRICK P.
Owner ULTRADENT PROD INC
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